Jamesie Wilson has given a lifetime of service to Casement Celtic and is a deserving Distinguished Service to Cork Soccer award winner

Did you ever think about the great international managers who never played the game professionally? 

Even more amazing are the guys who never even kicked a football in any grade of the game. 

A few that spring to mind include Avram Grant and our own Brian Kerr. 

In our local, domestic, junior and youth Leagues you would find plenty of late bloomers and also teens who founded and developed some very successful teams. 

One lad, who to the best of our knowledge, only played street league soccer was Jamesie Wilson, who became a founder member and first chairman of Casement Celtic in 1970. 

And, his remarkable ever-present hands - his commitment continued right to the end which surprisingly, for men's and boys teams, was regretfully announced recently after 54 years. 

However, knowing the calibre of Jamesie and former members it would be an even greater surprise if a comeback hasn’t already been planned.

Just two years after their foundation Casement contested a national final and were unluckily beaten by Home Farm in Dublin. 

Jamesie later took charge of the youths and reliables like Georgie Scannell, Paddy Power, Noel Cummins, Donal Geary, Peadar O’Leary, Tommy Healy and others managed six new schoolboy teams. 

In 1975, Casement’s youth team, including seven survivors from the Home Farm loss, caused a major provincial surprise when, expertly prepared by Jamesie and his assistant Tommy Healy, they defeated Hyde Rovers in Limerick in the Munster final. 

Twelve months later their target was the FAI Youth Cup. 

It took them back to Dublin again where they were defeated by eventual winners Cambridge in the semi-final. 

A few weeks later, Jamesie and his management team were forced into a hasty decision which, in hindsight, they lived to regret. 

On the verge of retaining the Munster Minor Cup they refused to play the final against Wembley Rovers (Limerick) in Turner's Cross claiming the one day's notice of the fixture received was insufficient. 

The MFA reacted furiously and refixed the match for Priory Park, Limerick and Casement conceded a walk-over.

Jamesie’s youth players were now stepping on to the AUL Inter-League teams while the early developers backboned the junior side which won the AOH Cup in 1978. 

There were call-ups, too, from the Irish Youth selectors as Casement Celtic’s Academy reputation spread. 

His workload increased when he became chairman of the reformed Ballyphehane Street Leagues in 1979.

From 1985 through to 1993 Wilson’s boys featured consistently on the winners’ rostrum winning major youth trophies almost annually. 

Jamie’s and assistant Denis Murphy were appointed to manage the Cork AUL Youths in 1986 and they brought the FAI National Inter League trophy back to Cork for the first time in six years. 

Prior to the final, he approached the AUL management committee pointing out that if they wanted the trophy badly, they would need to fly an absent player home from England. 

The league were persuaded and Jamesie’s trump card, Frank Fitzgerald, put in a man of the match performance following his flight home and was key to their victory over Dublin. 

The AUL manager's job became Wilson’s to turn down after that. 

Spreading his net wide he travelled around the county and his team for the Inter League semi-final against hosts Waterford in 1993 only included three city players. 

It was a masterclass in PR as from then on the boys from outside the city bounds were anxious to fight for a place in his squads. 

Casement's well-oiled machine motored on and then assisted by John Power, league championships at U17 and U18 level were recorded, as well as three Murphy Cups.

Casement opened their own ground on the Carrigrohane Road in 1990 and after a few fanfares, the mile-stone became a millstone as drainage problems began to take its toll especially in the winter season. 

Manpower was lacking so it was left to Wilson and a handful of friends to sort the problem out, which to their credit they did. 

A malaise slowly crept in and under-age teams in their membership began to fall away as the century closed-in. 

It became an epidemic in the noughties and again it was left to James Wilson to stem the tide. 

Desperate measures were taken and at one stage they had more foreigners on their teams than Chelsea. 

It bought them time and there was plenty of action from Casement teams in Carrigrohane again. 

Casement’s absence from this year's entries was a huge surprise and a disappointment to many. 

Members like James Wilson who has given over 50 years’ service to their cause, deserves to be honoured for his Distinguished Service to Cork Soccer.